The tooth reduction and abrasion in a group of elderly home residents

The degree of tooth loss and abrasion was the objective of the study on a group of 73 partially dentate elderly home residents, with particular interest in the type of missing and abraded tooth and the type of the interocclusal contacts according to the Eichner classification. The patients were examined by a dental mirror and a probe. The obtained data of dental status as well as medical and dental history were recorded in a specially designed questionnaire according to the WHO recommendations. The results confirmed the hypothesis about the molars being the most commonly missing teeth, with average values of 4.49 present teeth in lateral section and 5.82 present teeth in frontal section of the dental arch. The Eichner index class III was the most often interocclusal relationship found within 74% of the elderly home residents. Lower teeth were abraded more often than the upper teeth, showing higher abrasion degrees (class 2 and 3).